Full Name:  James Emanuel Joanos
     Born:  June 28, 1934, Tallahassee, Fla.
     Died:  January 20, 2024, Tallahassee, Fla.
   School:  Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida

Year  Pos     Hgt  Wgt  Cl  Ltr  Hometown
52-53 MD      5-6  140  Fr       Tallahassee                     
54-55 D       5-7  145  Jr       Tallahassee                     

James Emanuel Joanos, a lifetime resident of Tallahassee, died on January 20, 2024. "Jimmy" was born June 28, 1934, to parents, Emanuel and Theologia Joanos, immigrants to Tallahassee from the Greek Holy Island of Patmos.

Jimmy graduated from Leon High School, Florida State University and Yale Law School. From 1956 to 1959, he served on active duty as an officer in the United States Air Force.

At Leon High, he was Student Body Vice President, Captain of the Track Team and a football letterman. At FSU, Jimmy was President of the Freshman Class, Vice President of the Student Body, and President of the Sigma Chi Chapter, the Omicron Delta Kappa Circle, the Interfraternity Council, and the Interfaith Council.

Since 1957, Jimmy has been married to his college sweetheart, Betty Lou Whittle Joanos. In addition to his wife, he is survived by their children, Julia Joanos Crump (Darrell), Janet Joanos Pung (Steve), and James Joanos, Jr., (Lori); seven grandchildren, four great grandchildren and brother, Paul Joanos (Cheryl). Since 2016, Jimmy and Betty Lou have resided at the Westminster Oaks Retirement Village.

In the legal profession, Jimmy served as a law clerk (1962-63), practiced law in Tallahassee and the surrounding area (1963-71 and 2001-2020), was Judge of the Leon County Felony Court of Record for Leon County (1971-73), served as Circuit Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida (1973-80), and Judge of the Florida First District Court of Appeal (1980-2001). While a member of the "First DCA", he served a term as Chief Judge of that Court and a term as President of the Florida Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges. He served as a charter member and later served a term as President of the Stafford Chapter of the American Inns of Court.

Some of Jimmy's civic activities have included being President of the Tallahassee Jaycees, the Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Suwannee River Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was a coach of several youth league sports teams and was a founding member of Springtime Tallahassee and Lemoyne Arts Center. He has been awarded the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts, the Significant Sig Award from Sigma Chi Fraternity and one of five Outstanding Young Men of Florida award from the Florida Jaycees.

An active FSU alumnus, Jimmy served that institution in numerous ways including being Chairman of the FSU National Alumni Association. He was a member of a four-person committee that selected the first Dean and helped found the FSU College of Law. He taught classes at FSU, in the law school and in the College of Criminology. He also chaired and served on numerous committees. He has been honored by FSU in many ways including membership in ODK, Gold Key, and FSU Circle of Gold. In 1991 he and Betty Lou served as Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals. In 2005, he received the Sliger Award, the highest honor for lifetime service from FSU Alumni Association. In 2015, Jimmy and wife, Betty Lou, were awarded Moore-Stone Award proclaiming them as members of the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Jimmy had multiple hobbies and interests during his lifetime including photography, hiking and running. A number of his photographs are cherished by family and friends. He participated in numerous road races and marathons including the Boston (five times), New York City, London, Berlin, Athens (twice), and Marine Corps (twice) Marathons. In 1986, he was recognized as the Gulf Winds Track Club Male Runner of the Year.

Jimmy was an active Lifetime Christan. As a child he was raised Greek Orthodox. As an adult he and his wife were Episcopalians and raised their children as such. At various times, Jimmy served as a lay reader, cup bearer, Sunday School teacher, Vestry Member, Senior Warden, and bible study discussion leader.

James Joanos - retired local lawyer, judge and FSU 'super fan' - dies at 89
'He was what any good judge should aspire to be,' one local lawyer said.

James E. Joanos - a local lawyer and later judge who was a Florida State athletics "super fan" and FSU Hall of Famer - died in Tallahassee on Saturday. He was 89.

As veteran Tallahassee attorney Don Hinkle put it, "He was what any good judge should aspire to be."

Joanos, a Tallahassee native, graduated from Leon High and Florida State University, did three years in the Air Force, then went to Yale Law School, returning to his hometown to practice law.

He became a circuit judge and appellate judge, eventually rising to chief judge of the Tallahassee-based 1st District Court of Appeal. He later retired to private practice with the Akerman law firm here.

Joanos "earned his B.S. in government and public administration from FSU in 1956, and was a member of the track team and a student body leader," according to the Florida Bar News. "He was instrumental in the establishment of FSU's College of Law, where he also served as adjunct professor for more than 20 years, and (was) past president of the FSU Alumni Association."

He had some brief experience with the Legislature, serving as general counsel for the Florida House of Representatives Government Organization and Efficiency Committee in 1968-71, according to Florida Memory.

He and wife Betty Lou, both of whom Democrat sports editor Jim Henry once described as the "consummate Super Seminole couple," met at FSU and were "married the same day Betty Lou turned in her last FSU paper."

As Henry recounted in 2015, when the couple was presented the university's prestigious Moore-Stone Award at a Hall of Fame induction, both had become "life members of the Alumni Association, Golden Chiefs in the Seminole Boosters, Presidents Club members at the FSU Foundation" and were listed among FSU's 100 Distinguished Graduates.

"Judge Joanos and Betty Lou were (among) the first people to welcome my wife Laura and I to Tallahassee and we value their friendship," FSU Vice President and Athletics Director Michael Alford told the Democrat.

"Their love for our Seminole student athletes is so special and they have made an impact on so many through the years," he added. "They exemplify what being a Seminole fan is all about. We will miss him."

Those who practiced with or appeared before him extolled Joanos (who pronounced his name "Jonas") as a paragon of "a scholar and gentleman."

"His demeanor, integrity, and intelligence, coupled with humility and common sense, made him a great judge, and even better person," Hinkle told the Democrat on Sunday.

Also, "he had a fairy tale marriage with Betty Lou. They were inseparable," Hinkle added. "She came to all the baseball games to be with him, but would often sit quietly reading a good book while he watched the game."

Circuit Judge John Cooper of Tallahassee recalled getting to know him in the 1970s at the old F&T Restaurant on Monroe Street downtown. The eatery was the lunchtime haunt of many lawyers, judges and lawmakers, with even the occasional appearance of a governor.

"He might've been the nicest judge that I ever appeared in front of," Cooper said in a phone interview. "I have to be honest with you, I don't know that I've ever heard a lawyer say anything negative about Judge Joanos."

He last saw Joanos at a local restaurant a few weeks ago where a bunch of lawyers, law professors and others would have a regular lunch get-together: "I hadn't seen him for a number of years. But he remembered everybody's name. When I walked in, he said, 'Hey, John, how are you doing?' He was that kind of person."

The judge also had a sly sense of humor, Cooper explained: "There was a story that once during a trial, one of the lawyers said, 'Judge, the lawyer on the other side told me he's going to hit me if I ask (a particular) question one more time.' And Judge Joanos said, 'Well, don't ask that question.' "

Cooper said he once asked him about the anecdote. Joanos just smiled and said it was "mostly true."

Judge James Joanos (B.S. '56)

   Date    Opponent/Meet                  Event                         Place      Results       Points   Comment
---------- ------------------------------ ----------------------------- ----- ------------------ ------ ---------------